IVF more successful in women under 35 years of age

Melbourne: A new study has revealed that one in two women below the age of 35 can be blessed with a baby if they opt for In Vitro Fertilization.

However, the research by the University of NSW also suggested that the chances of success drop dramatically after five tries, News.com.au reported.

The study, which is the first in the world to track national success rates for IVF, is based on 2011 statistics from 35 centers in Australia and New Zealand.

According to the study`s lead author UNSW Professor Elizabeth Sullivan, although fertility treatment can be useful, it is always best to conceive spontaneously if possible.

It was found that the overall chance for all age groups of delivering a baby is 21 per cent after one cycle of treatment, increasing to 40 per cent by the fifth cycle, but when women aged 35 and older are removed from the statistics, the success rate jumps to more than 50 per cent after five attempts.

Prof Sullivan says although older women have a very low success rate using their own eggs, they usually manage as well as younger women using donor eggs.

The study is to be presented at a Fertility Society of Australia scientific meeting.